Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: The Untold Story

The untold story of how one woman's life was changed forever in a matter of seconds by a horrific trauma. Barbara Leaming's extraordinary and deeply sensitive biography is the first book to document Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' brutal, lonely, and valiant 31-year struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following JFK's assassination.Here is the woman as she has never been seen before.

Princes at War: The British Royal Family's Private Battle in the Second World War

King George V predicted that his son, Edward VIII, would destroy himself within a year of succeeding to the throne. In December 1936 he was proved right, and the world's press revealed the king was abandoning his throne to marry Wallis Simpson. A life spent in the shadow of his charismatic elder brother left the new king, George VI, magnificently unprepared for the demands of ruling the kingdom and empire. Drawing on personal accounts from the royal archives, Deborah Cadbury uncovers the very private conflict.

Victoria: A Life

To many Queen Victoria was a ruler shrouded in myth and mystique, portrayed as an aging, stiff widow. But in truth Britain's longest-reigning monarch was passionate, expressive, humorous, and unconventional. A. N. Wilson's exhaustively researched and definitive biography includes a wealth of new material from previously unseen sources, showing us Queen Victoria as she's never been seen before.

Take Six Girls: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters

They were known as the Mitford sisters: Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Jessica and Deborah. Born into country-house privilege in the early years of the 20th century, they became prominent as 'bright young things' in the high society of interwar London. Then, as the shadows crept over 1930s Europe, the stark - and very public - differences in their outlooks came to symbolize the political polarities of a dangerous decade.

The Mistresses of Cliveden

From its dawn in the 1660s to its twilight in the 1960s, Cliveden was an emblem of elite misbehaviour and intrigue. Conceived by the Duke of Buckingham as a retreat for his scandalous affair with Anna-Maria, Countess of Shrewsbury, the house later served as the backdrop for the Profumo affair. In the 300 years between, the house was occupied by a dynasty of remarkable women each of whom left their mark on this great house.

The Royals

They are the most chronicled family on the face of the globe. Their every move attracts headlines. Scores of books have tried and failed to penetrate the royal facade. Now Kitty Kelley has gone behind palace walls to provide the first three-dimensional, comprehensive, and evenhanded portrait of the men and women who make up the British Royal family.

The Viceroy's Daughters

The sisters saw British fascism from behind the scenes and had an equally intimate view of the arrival of Wallis Simpson and the marriage and life of the Windsors. Based on unpublished letters and diaries, this is a wonderfully revealing portrait of British upper-class life during the first half of the 20th century.

First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill

Without Churchill's inspiring leadership, Britain could not have survived its darkest hour and repelled the Nazi menace. Without his wife, Clementine, however, he might never have become Prime Minister. By his own admission, the Second World War would have been 'impossible without her'. Clementine was Winston's emotional rock and his most trusted confidante. Yet her ability to charm Britain's allies and her humanitarian efforts on the home front earned her deep respect.

That Woman

One of Britain's most distinguished biographers turns her focus on one of the most vilified woman of the last century. Historian Anne Sebba has written the first full biography of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, by a woman which attempts to understand this fascinating and enigmatic American divorcee who nearly became Queen of England. 'That woman', as she was referred to by the Queen Mother, became a hate figure for allegedly ensnaring a British king.

Queen Bees: Six Brilliant and Extraordinary Society Hostesses Between the Wars - A Spectacle of Celebrity, Talent, and Burning Ambition

Queen Bees looks at the lives of six remarkable women who made careers out of being society hostesses, including Lady Astor, who went on to become the first female MP, and Mrs Greville, who cultivated relationships with Edward VII, as well as Lady Londonderry, Lady Cunard, Laura Corrigan and Lady Colefax. Told with wit, verve and heart, Queen Bees is the story of a form of societal revolution and the extraordinary women who helped it happen.

A Different Class of Murder

On 7 November 1974, a nanny named Sandra Rivett was bludgeoned to death in a Belgravia basement. A second woman, Veronica, Countess of Lucan, was also attacked. The man named in court as perpetrator of these crimes, Richard John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan, disappeared in the early hours of the following morning. The case, solved in the eyes of the law, has retained its fascination ever since.

17 Carnations: The Windsors, The Nazis and The Cover-Up

The story of the love affair between Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII, and his abdication in order to marry the divorcée, has provoked fascination and discussion for decades. However, the full story of the couple's links with the German aristocracy and Hitler has until now remained untold. Meticulously researched, 17 Carnations chronicles this entanglement, starting with Hitler's early attempts to matchmake between Edward and a German noblewoman.

The Strangest Family: The Private Lives of George III, Queen Charlotte and the Hanoverians

An intensely moving account of George III's doomed attempt to create a happy, harmonious family, written with astonishing emotional force from a stunning new history writer. George III came to the throne in 1760 as a man with a mission. He wanted to be a new kind of king, one whose power was rooted in the affection and approval of his people. And he was determined to revolutionise his private life too - to show that a better man would, inevitably, make a better ruler.

Black Diamonds: The Rise and Fall of an English Dynasty

Wentworth is today a crumbling and forgotten palace in Yorkshire. Yet just 100 years ago it was the ancestral pile of the Fitzwilliams' - an aristocratic clan whose home and life were fuelled by coal mining. This is the story of their spectacular decline: of inheritance fights; rumours of a changeling and of lunacy; philandering earls; illicit love; war heroism: a tragic connection to the Kennedys'; violent deaths: mining poverty and squalor; and a class war that literally ripped apart the local landscape.

Bertie: A Life of Edward VII

Entertaining and different, this is an enjoyable study of a flawed yet characterful Prince of Wales seen through the eyes of the women in his life. Edward Vll, who gave his name to the Edwardian Age and died in 1911, was King of England for the final 10 years of his life. He was 59 when at last he came to the throne. Known as Bertie, the eldest son of Victoria and Albert, he was bullied by both his parents.

The Tudors

For the first time in decades, here, in a single volume, is a fresh look at the fabled Tudor dynasty, comprising some of the most enigmatic figures ever to rule a country. Acclaimed historian G. J. Meyer reveals the flesh-and-bone reality in all its wild excess.

Charles and Camilla: Portrait of a Love Affair

This is a story of the most well documented, most commented on love affair of our times. Yet the personalities behind the facade remain elusive and the nature of their relationship is an enigma. This is the first major biography of Charles and Camilla, two people who have battled against the curious lot that fate has thrown their way. Gyles Brandreth returns to the same ground as his last book, the bestselling "Philip and Elizabeth"; "Portrait of a Marriage".

The Private Lives of the Tudors: Uncovering the Secrets of Britain's Greatest Dynasty

The Tudor monarchs were constantly surrounded by an army of attendants, courtiers and ministers. Even in their most private moments, they were accompanied by a servant specifically appointed for the task. A groom of the stool would stand patiently by as Henry VIII performed his daily purges, and when Elizabeth I retired for the evening, one of her female servants would sleep at the end of her bed. These attendants knew the truth behind the glamorous exterior.

The Fall of the House of Wilde: Oscar Wilde and His Family

The Fall of the House of Wilde for the first time places Oscar Wilde as a member of one of the most dazzling Anglo-Irish families of Victorian times and in the broader social, political and religious context. A remarkable and perceptive account, this is a major repositioning of our first modern celebrity, a man whose own fall from grace in a trial as public as his father's marked the end of fin de siècle decadence.

After Camelot: A Personal History of the Kennedy Family - 1968 to the Present

For more than half a century, Americans have been captivated by the Kennedys - their joy and heartbreak, tragedy and triumph, the dark side and the remarkable achievements. In this ambitious and sweeping account, Taraborrelli continues the family chronicle begun with his best-selling Jackie, Ethel, Joan and provides a behind-the-scenes look at the years "after Camelot."

Margot at War: Love and Betrayal in Downing Street, 1912-1916

Margot Asquith was perhaps the most daring and unconventional Prime Minister's wife in British history. Known for her wit, style and habit of speaking her mind, she transformed 10 Downing Street into a glittering social and intellectual salon. Yet her last five years at Number 10 were a period of intense emotional and political turmoil in her private and public life.

Kick: The True Story of Kick Kennedy, JFK's Forgotten Sister and the Heir to Chatsworth

The remarkable life of the vivacious, clever - and forgotten - Kennedy sister who charmed the English aristocracy and was almost erased from her family history. When Kathleen Kennedy sailed to England after her father had been appointed ambassador to Great Britain in 1938, her wit, aloofness and sexual charisma at once became the source of endless fascination for the British public.

A Very English Scandal: Sex, Lies and a Murder Plot at the Heart of the Establishment

It's the late 1960s, and homosexuality has only just been legalised, and Jeremy Thorpe, the leader of the Liberal party, has a secret he's desperate to hide. As long as Norman Scott, his beautiful, unstable lover is around, Thorpe's brilliant career is at risk. With the help of his fellow politicians, Thorpe schemes, deceives and embezzles - until he can see only one way to silence Scott for good. The trial of Jeremy Thorpe changed our society forever: it was the moment the British public discovered the truth about its political class.

The Lost Tudor Princess

Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox. Royal Tudor blood ran in her veins. Her mother was a Queen, her father an Earl, and she herself was the granddaughter, niece, cousin and grandmother of monarchs. Beautiful and tempestuous, she created scandal not just once but twice by falling in love with unsuitable men. Fortunately the marriage arranged for her turned into a love match.

Publisher's Summary

The life of the Duchess of Windsor came to an end in Paris on 24 April 1986. She was almost 90. Many people assumed that she had died years before, since she disappeared from public view for over a decade. Sebastian Faulks wrote in the Sunday Telegraph, 'She is seen as no more than the star of an old romantic film that most French have forgotten.

'But the world did take note, describing her death as the final curtain on one of the greatest love stories of the twentieth century. The story of the Abdication was retold, embers of the feud between the British Royal Family and the Windsors in exile were fanned once more, and there was increasing speculation about the many historical treasures owned by the Duke and Duchess, in particular her jewels.

Hugo Vickers has followed the unfolding saga of this tragic couple since he was a young man. And, with the help of previously unpublished papers and personal testaments, he now brings a whole new perspective to the story. In particular, Vickers focuses on the last years of the Duchess of Windsor, revealing the cold truth about the ruthless exploitation of a vulnerable old woman by an unscrupulous French lawyer called Suzanne Blum.

Behind Closed Doors is a potent mixture of detective story and revelatory royal history. Hugo Vickers combines meticulous research with an intense fascination with his subject to tell a tale whose dramatic impact has only increased with time.

What a sympathetic and clear work on the Duchess of Winsor's life and decline after the death of the Duke. Most people see, and saw, her as a very tough and grasping woman. But this well crafted book shows another Duchess for whom the listener seen to have sympathy for, I must admit that I wanted to rush in at times to help rescue her.

What i loved about this book was the great detail highlighted of life after the abdication. I was well aware of the royal families unfavourable version of the story of "that woman", but this book broadens the historic situation and i now feel i know much more about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor both before and after the abdication. I found it totally absorbing, and there are at least two sides to every story, and in this case, many more.

I just finished reading That Woman, and was curious to learn more about Wallis and Edward in exile. This couple never looked happy to me, and I suspect that he only used this woman to relieve himself of being King, a job he never enjoyed. No love there to make your wife the most hated woman in England.I suspect that had they had inkling of how ostracised they would be in their new life he might not have abdicated. The most startling revelations in this book are the chapters dealing with the Duchess after Edward died. Poor of health and isolated from all her remaining friends, she is a virtual prisoner of her staff and lawyer. Who rob her blind.Not a great love story at all, but a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.This is a thoroughly well researched book and dispels much of the nonsense and innuendo that have followed this couple.

29 of 31 people found this review helpful

Joy

Hamilton, Bermuda

23/06/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"The end of the Affair"

This is a very accurate and sad account of the dishonest lawyer who overtook the life of the Duchess of Windsor and her money.

11 of 12 people found this review helpful

Susan

USA

19/02/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Interesting"

I like the narrator. The book started out strong but I didn't feel that the life stories of some of the people surrounding the duchess were necessary. Intervening overall and well read.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Redding Reader

USA

25/10/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"The Book of Agony"

What would have made Behind Closed Doors better?

Strong editing that would have excised massive repetition and eliminated many useless pieces of information, speculation and invention.

Has Behind Closed Doors turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not really but I certainly will not read anything else from this author....though I suspect he has no other books of purported insider knowledge.

Any additional comments?

This is subtitled "The Book of Agony" because it was a tortured tale that could have been successfully told in one hour or as a short story. There is endless repetition and irrelevant, agonizing detail that is more properly Appendix material for those who care about such minutiae The people are pathetic, selfish, hopelessly helpless and shamefully weak. The author wishes her knew more or that he was somehow actually connected in their story, but is clearly only an obsessed researcher. There is no romance nor levity in the story of this story of the personal relationship of the Windsors but rather a depressing and frustrating tale of friends and royalty who stood back and did nothing to help or protect a friend or the important artifacts and papers of the former King of England. Compounding the situation is an avaricious and bloodless attorney who stole and dissipated the Duchess' assets.

I never give up on a book while listening in hopes that there is some redeeming aspect but in this case, there is no reward here for the hearty optimist. Certainly, while some books are better than others, this one is way behind the pack and is a waste of time.

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

Christine

Winchester, MA, United States

08/11/11

Overall

Performance

Story

"Trying to make a heroine where one didn't exist."

I think the reader is supposed to feel sorry for the Windsors and the mess they made of everything. The book comes across as empty as its subjects.

14 of 23 people found this review helpful

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